


Eat Your Heart Out~

by C_A_T_M



Category: Monsta X (Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Blood and Gore, Character Death, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Demonic Possession, Demons, F/M, Gen, Heart Attacks, M/M, Murder, Polyamory, Stabbing, Suicide, Suicide Notes, Supernatural Elements, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2020-03-07 20:29:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18880663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/C_A_T_M/pseuds/C_A_T_M
Summary: A dare is a dare, no one wants to look like a coward. But what happens when it becomes too much to handle and instead becomes a matter of life and death?





	Eat Your Heart Out~

"Jeongguk, do you think you're on ghostbusters?" The low, irritated hiss that left her mouth only made the aforementioned boy roll his eyes, an amused smile playing on his lips. 

Dense woodland and twigs underfoot made the journey hard, the constant eerie sounds only adding to the jumpiness she felt. Jeongguk, however, seemed like he couldn't have cared less; he was storming ahead like like he was headed to his grandma's for some tea. 

"Quit complaining, Noona, you're just overreacting," If she was any closer to him, she would have grabbed a branch and smacked him with it. 

After all, who else in their right mind would willingly be walking to an abandoned mansion in the middle of god knows where? Certainly not her nor her boyfriend that was clinging to her arm, scared out of his wits. Jeongguk however, was a different breed of person - the kind to jump off a cliff without safety because their friend asked them to. He was also the one that was most eager, almost watering at the mouth at the thought of being inside that stupid place. 

The dusk was beginning to settle, pink and orange colouring the barely visible sky overhead. Branches curled and intertwined, creating a thick canopy that barely just allowed light to get through to the bottom layer. The ground was wet and soggy, unpleasant to walk on and probably even more unpleasant to run on. 

"Can't we just pay for their food? I'm going to cry," Minhyuk's arms wrapped tighter around hers, his hair standing on end as he shuffled along with her, eyes moving around and yelling at any soft, foreign sound. 

It really was unfortunate how two scaredy cats were forced to go on this dare. 

Despite the fact that he had his back to them, already a couple of metres ahead, she could sense Jeongguk's eyes rolling, along with that annoying bunny-like smile. "You guys are such babies, no wonder you're all dating."

Even with his legs shaking and his eyes impossible wide, Minhyuk managed to snap at the younger boy. "Yah- fuck!" a branch snapped and echoed, "don't you disrespect your elders. Not all of us want to die in a creepy old house."

It was all the fault of the idiot quartet that remained back at civilisation that they were here, with shadows lurching at them every second and Minhyuk's constant shivering being the only real forms of entertainment.

"Thank god. There's only a little bit left," she exhaled, comforted by the soft brush of Minhyuk's hair against her neck, "I'll murder them myself when we get back."

This statement earnt soft laughter, the tension easing up considerably as they finally reached a clearing; though in all honesty, it wasn't much better than the overgrown vegetation they'd just emerged from. 

Jeongguk stopped, waiting for them with his fingers gently drumming on his thighs, sniggering to himself when he saw how pathetic they looked. It was a funny sight, just not to her and Minhyuk.

"Doesn't it look cool? I wonder how Changkyun-Hyung found this place," She also wondered that same thing, especially when she had never even heard a whisper about this old, rickety place.

Surprisingly, there was no graffiti that covered the walls, the grime being the only thing that decorated the obscenely unstable and unnerving building. Moss and weeds broke through the wood of the patio, splintering planks of pine shattered by years of weathering. 

Plants that lined the front of the house laid limply in their dirt graves, once beautiful flowers now ghosts of what they once were.

Everything about the house screamed danger, from the pointed roof and small circular window, to the sloped sides of the mansion that creaked with every whisper of the wind. 

"Who's going in first?" Two sets of glares burnt into his back, forcing him to put his hands up in surrender, "okay okay, gosh. You guys better follow right behind."

A chorus of 'yeah yeah' and 'fool' bounced off his body, not affecting him in the least as he carefully walked up the three wooden steps, minding his step and trying his hardest not to stand on any weak surfaces. While he stood on the patio, she followed behind and Minhyuk nearly jumped over the entire thing. 

The door creaked, opening with the lightest touch and swinging open to reveal a deserted hallway populated only by spiders and bugs that scuttled at the light that suddenly poured through. 

"That's disgusting," Minhyuk grimaced, two other heads nodding in agreement before they slowly creeped in. 

His grip was like iron, body almost glued to her side while he hunched over. She couldn't even be mad, her own nerves highly strung and the constant whistling of the wide was not helping in the least. 

Though, Jeongguk's carefree attitude was annoying, it was helpful in keeping her reigned in and not buzzing from fear and adrenaline. Minhyuk was already having a hard time with that and god knew that having two people practically high off of terror would not be good.

"Hell, this place is so fucking scary," Profanity passed her lips like blasphemous prayers, Jeongguk nodding in agreement while Minhyuk whimpered, face buried in her neck before he inhaled deeply and forced himself to stand by himself. 

Walking further into the house, she half expected the door to shut with a loud bang like in typical horror films; thankfully, it did not. It remained open and that was a relief to them all. 

Each step was like walking further into a madhouse, stains on the wood and the stench of mould making it hard to breathe. All they needed to do was find a room and complete the stupid dare. 

God, she thought while looking around, she really was going to murder them one by one.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of searching, they stopped at the entrance to a large, yet stable looking room. There was no door in the doorway and it most certainly wasn't the prettiest space, but it would fit and comfortably service them.

 "Let's set up here," Nodding, they followed in behind him and looked around the room. While there were still bugs and such scampering around, there wasn't as high a concentration as the rest of the house. "Hyung, can you draw it out please?" 

With a soft huff, Minhyuk took the chalk from Jeongguk's hand and set to work, kneeling on the dusty, dirty floor to draw the precise lines that would be needed. The others had specifically said that everything needed to be perfect or the dare was null. 

Meanwhile, she slipped her backpack off her shoulders and began work on setting up the camera, making sure that it was fully charged and functional. 

Fiddling with the stand, it was relatively quick to put things into place and to find a flat area to perch it on. She finally managed to get it working, pressing the record button and smiling to herself in an almost smug manner. 

A few ugly faces were pulled, eyes rolling upward into her head and tongue sticking out childishly, before her arms went to her sides and she imitated a chicken. 

"What the hell are you doing?" Minhyuk asked, struggling to bite back his laughter as he turned around and saw her doing the chicken dance for no reason in front of a recording camera. 

She froze, eyes wide and jaw hanging open, before Minhyuk walked over and joined in, copying her and following along with making ugly faces and doing the chicken dance. It was really a sight to see, people dancing wildly in an abandoned house while Jeongguk in the background remained partially oblivious. 

After a minute or so, he also turned around after having rummaged in his bag and spotted them doing some poor imitations of fortnite dances, almost peeing themselves while they did it. 

Honestly, he wondered how on earth they were both older than him when they acted like morons. Though, he couldn't deny that it was amusing and before long, he too was roped into doing poor fortnite dance imitations along with them.

"Okay okay," She finally said through laughter, a chill traveling down her spine and making her shiver, "let's just do this and get out of here." 

Of course Minhyuk was the quickest to agree, jumping away from the front of the camera and standing next to the pentagram drawn on the floor. Candles were placed neatly at each point, the cinnamon scent that it was labelled with making the couple's eyes travel to Jeongguk's form questioningly. He only shrugged, offering no explanation. 

Suddenly, a loud bang made the entire house jolt, air freezing and making the hair on their arms stand up from both anxiety and the temperature.

"Here's the thing that Jimin printed out, let's read it and go" Placing the sheets of paper in the middle, they finally grasped each others hands and closed their eyes. 

It was eerily quiet now, all the sounds of the wind had disappeared and the animals rustling had ceased completely. There was nothing left but a gut wrenching silence that seemed to fill everything inch of her being with paralysing fear. 

Tighter and tighter, she held onto their hands like it was her life line. They returned her squeeze with ones equally as powerful. The words printed on the paper were changed lowly, unsurely - more than likely they were mispronouncing everything on it. 

The world seemed to pulse, her heartbeat pronounced against her chest, each beat echoing in her ears while the sound of rushing blood in her head was the only thing she could hear. For a moment, she felt sickeningly alone, no one was beside her and she could barely feel the warmth of her boyfriend's palm; the urge to let go and scream was becoming harder and harder to resist, clawing at her lungs with unrelenting urgency until-

Nothing. 

The chanting was finished and the pressure in her chest disappeared completely. Her eyes opened slowly, taking in the scene before her and exhaling in relief. 

There was nothing that had changed, not one single thing was out of place and both Jeongguk and Minhyuk were still there. 

Minhyuk looked scared while Jeongguk looked… Dazed, the kind of look a child would have after being momentarily blinded by the flash of a camera. 

"Hey? Are you okay?" Minhyuk's concerned voice filled the air, the younger boy blinking rapidly and nodding, his doe eyes wide and pupils dilated. Jeongguk nodded, almost jerking away from his elder's touch before scrambling to put away his candles. 

Another bang made her shriek, racing over to the camera and nearly yanking it off the stand after whispering a hasty goodbye to the recording and ending it. Nearly throwing everything into the bag, she just about zipped it up and tossed it over her shoulders.

And soon after she had finished this, she grabbed Minhyuk's hand and took off running, praying that she would never have to come back and face the horrible, nasty mansion ever again. 

* * *

 

"Hey, bastards! Open the door!" Minhyuk's loud yell would have made her laugh in any other circumstances, but right now, with shivers running down her spine, she could help but agree. 

Jeongguk was stood limply next to them, all the lustre that he had previously possessed seemed to have disappeared, leaving him meek and quiet. She couldn't really blame him, the entire experience had been borderline traumatising and she was looking forward to doing nothing but sleeping after such a scare.

The dinging inside the flat could be heard from the outside, echoing continuously until they heard the sound of feet shuffling and low grumbling from inside. 

Finally, the door cracked open and Jooheon's face popped through, his mind taking a second to recognise them in their ragged states before he smiled brightly, door opening fully.

"You're ba-"

A loud and ear piercing scream came from her lips, making both Minhyuk and Jooheon scream too, voices loud and frightened before they stared at her in both irritation and confusion. 

"What the hell!?" Jooheon scowled.

Laughing, she exhaled, moving past him to enter the flat. "You owe us all some food, my Heonie."

Instantly his eyes widened and he closed the door, gaze falling to her backpack before his lips formed an 'o'. "You really did it?" 

"Did think we were joking?" She spoke, head tilting slightly but otherwise her expression remained the same as it did outside. "The only sensible one was Gukkie. We're both babies."

Jooheon smiled before it transformed into a grimace, patting his back pocket and sighing dramatically. "I'm going to go broke," a finger extended towards Minhyuk who was slightly hunched, squinting as he looked at Jooheon. "You have too much of an appetite, Hyung."

Minhyuk grinned, grabbing his hand and jerking him closer in a rather rough manner that had them both blinking in shock. "For you both I do."

With cheeks tinting pink, Jooheon's bashful expression had them pestering him, gently placing kisses on his cheeks and poking his deep dimples while he became more and more flustered. "Hey, stop teasing me," pouting, she was unable to resist the urge to give him a gentle kiss, followed straight after by Minhyuk.

"Stop being gross in the corridor, I want to see the video. I'm not falling for your lies again," Changkyun's low voice cut through them, their heads turning to see him smiling broadly. "Give it here."

Shrugging the backpack off her shoulders, she handed it to him and then made her way into the living room. Everyone else was already organized, Jimin and Taehyung sat happily on the floor, cuddling against each other while Jeongguk sat in the single arm chair. For a few seconds, she stared at him. 

He looked pale and he still hadn't spoken a a word since they'd left the mansion - maybe he was finally coming to terms with the distress he'd felt in the house.

Changkyun was nimble and quick in hooking up the camera to the TV, using the wires to connect it quickly before sitting down in front of Minhyuk. The trio were occupying a whole couch, Jooheon's legs propped up and resting on her thighs. 

"You really did it?" Taehyung asked twisting around and letting his eyes narrow suspiciously at her before a big body grin overtook his features. "I'm surprised, but Jungkook's looked a little sickly since you got back. Guess that place was scary."

Minhyuk snorted at this, gently playing with Changkyun's hair while the video loaded, the thumbnail a close up image of her rolling her eyes - quite the common sight considering she was surrounded mostly by young men. 

"Classy," came the comment from Jimin, followed by a high pitched 'ow!' as her foot swung to connect with his side. 

He always did have a mouth on him, though his angelic complexion always softened the blow. 

Slowly, the film started up, the first frame being her lips near the camera as she moved away after pressing record. A few split seconds of nothing passed by: an almost still image of her staring at the camera before she moved. Her facial features contorted, ugly expressions and faces made that only fuelled the hilarity they felt. 

"God. You're such a weirdo," Changkyun tried his hardest to stifle his smirk but was ultimately unsuccessful, laughing loudly as she flipped her eyelids inside out and proceeded to do the chicken dance. 

Embarrassment flooded through her - of course they had seen her do weird things plenty of times, but it was hard not to be drowning in shame when they were all watching her do them on a big screen. 

Finally, the few minutes of stupidity passed and then they were stood in the circle, the chalk stark against the dirty, grey floor and their bodies a harsh contract to the darkness of the room. Light was scarce, shadows highlighting most corners as they stood together. 

Sure it was a little odd to be seeing herself from a third person point of views but it couldn't be helped. The recording was stable, nothing out of the ordinary as it captured them shuffling into place. However, the loud bang was also caught, making various people jump, including the ones that had already experienced the event.

"What was that?" Jimin questioned, frowning and looking over his shoulder, "did you guys make that noise?"

"No. I think it was something hitting the roof," accepting the explanation she gave, he turned back to the TV and watched. Just as they were beginning to get into the circle, Changkyun paused it.

"Theres something there," Upon feeling the dozen eyes on his back, he pointed to the corner, "there's something behind Jeongguk."

The room fell silent as they spotted what Changkyun was talking about; sure enough, in the corner there was something moving, and almost shadow like figure that glided along the walls. 

"That's just a shadow, stop trying to scare people," Changkyun opted to remain silent, knowing that he would only receive furious rebuttals should he try and bring across his point any further. 

The rest of the video felt as long as a century, each second dragging - the feeling akin to watching paint dry. The chanting was becoming slower, distorted, almost a low and continuous screen as the audio playback failed. The screen was still displaying perfect visuals, yet the audio began to mould and mesh together into a horrid noise. 

A sinking feeling began to settle in her gut, fingers digging into her thigh as Jooheon looked at her, concerned for his girlfriend. 

Then suddenly, it stopped. All was normal again and she could breathe. The audio was back and playing without a single twitch or problem, to say it creeped them out would have been an understatement. 

"Okay yeah, you completed the dare," Taehyung spoke, unplugging the wires and hurriedly shoving everything into the bag, "we owe you food for three months now." The statement was followed by a sigh and a few cheers, though the underlying tenseness still remained. 

Taehyung, despite his insistence that he was annoyed, was beaming to himself. If there was one thing he loved, it was doing something for his friends. 

Smiling gently back at him, she huffed and decided that the best thing to get her mind off of whatever was going on would be to eat, especially considering she hadn't eaten since the early hours when they'd first reached the apartment. 

"Brilliant, now you can buy us food. I'm hungry," attention turning to Jeongguk, her smile dropped slightly at his still shaken figure. "What would you like to eat, Gukkie?"

He merely shook his head, standing up and running a hand through his brown locks. There was an unsettling dullness to his eyes, something akin to a black hole that let nothing out. "No thank you, I feel a little sick. I'm gonna go to sleep."

Walking away, the rest of the group shared glances before shrugging. If he felt sick then he felt sick. 

Hopefully he would feel better in the morning. 

* * *

 

"Was it scary?" Jooheon's voice was soft, whispered into the sheets and into Minhyuk's warm embrace, "the house? I could never have done it."

The laughter that followed was good natured, her own forehead pressed to Minhyuk's back, lips brushing his shirt. "You're always scared, Heonie, but I don't blame you. I nearly crapped myself too, it was so weird."

Jooheon hummed, Minhyuk's chin resting on his head as the comforting silence enveloped them all. It was such a stark contrast to the gut wrenching quiet that ensnared her during the chanting that it made her stomach heave. 

Moonlight peeked through the blinds that hadn't fully closed, the sounds of soft breathing punctuating the otherwise soundless room. This was her serenity, where no one and nothing could harm her because she was with the people she loved the most. 

Minhyuk sighed, his breath disrupting Jooheon's hair and making a few loose strands fly across his forehead. "Go to sleep, you'll wake up in the morning feeling better."

Almost like a prophecy that had been fulfilled, their eyes began to droop and they were in a dreamless slumber, nothing but tranquility surrounding them all. 

Well, that was until she woke up hours later in the dead of the night to see both Minhyuk and Jooheon no longer in the bed, the sounds of soft whispering coming through the crack in the door. 

Groggily, her legs swung over the side of the bed and she got up, wondering why on earth she hadn't been woken up. Or the other option: why on earth they were awake. 

Minhyuk's coat remained over the railing where it hadn't previously been there before but he thought nothing of it.

Padding slowly towards the kitchen where the light was coming from, she could hear muffled sobs, gentle whispering accompanying it. The sight of her boyfriend's sitting on the island, trying to console each other, was not an image she expected to see at 3am. 

Jooheon was trembling, face hidden from her view but she knew damn well it was him who was crying, his fingers clapping tightly on to the thin material of Minhyuk's shirt. The latter had his own eyes screwed tightly shut, tears glinting under the yellow kitchen lights. 

The scene broke her heart.

"What's wrong? Baby, why are you crying?" The person name was ambiguous, her legs walking her unconsciously towards the duo until she was sat behind Jooheon, arms wrapped around him and cheek resting on his shivering back. "Please don't cry."

He shuddered under her, Minhyuk's eyes opening to reveal glassy hues and red eyes. "Taehyung h-he," Jooheon swallowed, "He's dead."

Her body froze, ice traveling through her veins and she swore that for a second, her heart had stopped beating. Terror clung to every part of her, chilling her insides.

That couldn't be true! She had just spoken to him hours ago and he was fine, he had laughed and joked over Chinese food, he had stolen her spring rolls and demanded a kiss for it back, he was alive and healthy. 

The keyword: was.

How could he be dead? He had his entire life ahead of him. He was the art and fashion major that everyone adored, that had opportunities lined up by the dozen for him, he wanted a family and a home to call his own. He wanted to live his life to the fullest. 

And now he was gone.

Voice choked, her words came out in jumbles, hardly believing of what had been uttered. "You're joking, please," her voice cracked pitifully, "please tell me you're joking. Taehyung is okay, right? Right?!" 

Minhyuk remained still, slowly shaking his head before his eyes lowered in submission. His voice was barely audible, the faded syllables encapsulating every regret and missed chance that he could not vocalise."He passed away from a heart attack two hours ago."

Jooheon's heart was stuttering under her finger tips, his chest burdened with the weight of death. 

"Where are the others? C-can we go visit them?" Despite the fact that daylight had yet to break and that the world was still asleep and ignorant, the two boys nodded and they were out of the home within minutes.

The drive there was unbearable, her hands trembling on the steering wheel and leg bouncing uncontrollably. Her lip was nearly bitten bloody, the raw taste of blood flooding her taste buds and making her feel sick.

She wondered if Taehyung had felt any pain before he passed, if he knew that those breaths he would take would be his last. Even if she wasn't dying, every inhale made her feel like she was. 

Parking the car with no regard for the yellow lines that contrasted to the black tarmac, they walked up to the flat and waited for the door to open.

Each second that passed was agonising, a new thought popping into her head. How easily could life end that someone so young had departed so early?

The door cracked open, red eyes peeking through before it opened fully and they were greeted with a watery eyed Jimin. His hair was messy and his clothes were wrinkled, seemingly aging a decade in a few hours. 

There was nothing that needed to be said, especially not when she could see the door to his room every so slightly open with Changkyun sat on the bed with his head buried in his hands and Jeongguk sat next to him, completely silent. 

Nothing had been touched and if she didn't know better, she would have thought that bubbly man was just out for a little while. Neither she nor anyone else had the heart to touch a single thing. 

All she could do was hope that Taehyung was happy; it was the only thing they had left.

* * *

 

The days following the funeral was tough and the hardest thing was knowing that one of her best friends lay in a casket just metres away. He looked every part the prince he was, with his face still retaining youth and his lips parted as though he was about to take another breath. The suit he wore was beautiful, one that he had been pining after for countless days but was never able to afford: twisted how he could only wear it when he was no longer around to admire it. 

Fate was cruel and she knew that first hand now. 

Sleep never graced her, evading her grasp and running away. Each time she would close her eyes she would see nothing but his boxy smile and be reminded of what was stolen from the world. 

Though she was more concerned about the trip that still loved within the flats four walls with constant reminders of what had been. Changkyun had been unwavering, his façade strong but it was easy to see that he was crumbling inside, his soul fractured. 

Jeongguk had taken it tremendously hard too, his avoidance of Taehyung's room and the way his eyes would turn glassy at even the slightest mention of his Hyung.

But Jimin was the worst. It was no secret that the two were on the edge of dating, just waiting for the right time to find each other - and now he would never have the chance.

Changkyun would tell her how Jimin had yet to return to his own room, that he spent each night crying himself to sleep with his head buried in Taehyung's sheets and surrounded in the very essence of him; sometimes he would speak as though Taehyung was in the room with them.

Grief was the worst and it took hold of each person in different ways. 

Jooheon was silent, his eyes trained on the glass of water in front of him but she knew that internally, his mind was racing. 

Once again, they were both sat up, situated on the stools and allowing the silence to speak what that could not. 

"I miss him," Jooheon's voice trembled, his eyes filling with tears as he hastily wiped them away, swallowing harshly before downing the glass in front of him.

"I know, baby. I miss him too," the clock ticked, each second echoing in the dimly lit kitchen, bouncing off the walls and ringing in her ears. "He's okay now, the most we can do is keep him alive in our memories.

He nodded, unable to face her. 

Then, just as the clock stuck 1am, the front door opened. Minhyuk had come back from his walk. 

He walked in, carrying cool air on his back and a frown on his beautiful face. "I'm sorry, did I disturb you?"

Jooheon shook his head. "No, Hyung."

He took a seat on the other side of her, his coat still hanging off his shoulders but he had taken off his shoes and socks. "Would you like to go out tomorrow? All of us?"

All they wanted was a distraction, a distraction from the sadness that hung over everyone like a cloud. No matter how many tears were shed and how many people wished otherwise, Taehyung was never coming back. 

"Yes, please."

* * *

 

When they first proposed the idea over text, Jimin had been reluctant to agree and she understood why. He felt like he was disrespecting Taehyung by not mourning for him, that going out and trying to have fun would translate into contempt from the heavens above. It had taken a lot of convincing and softly spoken words to make him understand that he was not a villain for wanting to live his life and that he could still honour Taehyung

The ice skating rink was cold, as expected, but it was colder than normal. Perhaps it was the guilt that ate away at her or maybe it was the way Jeongguk's went straight through her. 

Something was wrong with him and he wouldn't say. Ever since the day they had been to the mansion he had been acting weird. She couldn't understand why and he would refuse to elaborate no matter how many times she asked.

His eyes were dull, expressionless when addressing anyone. But he had noticed one thing, how deeply unsettled he looked whenever he looked at Minhyuk or Jooheon, like they were the bane of his existence.

Pulling her jacket closer to herself, she watched as Jooheon and Minhyuk messed around on the ice, hands holding each others while simultaneously trying to balance. Once or twice one of them had slipped and nearly sent them both to the floor, but they were managing. 

Her feet swung, the boots tied up to her feet and her chest light. Changkyun and Jeongguk were busy on the edges of the rink, with Changkyun trying his hardest to stay upright while Jeongguk glided effortlessly. 

However, Jimin remained off site, seated on the side and picking at his nails. It was then that she made the proactive decision to walk closer to him to sit down beside him whilst trying her hardest to remain upright on the skates.

He looked up, almost startled when she sat beside him, holding out her hand. His own slipped nicely into hers and she realised that it was freezing, like he had held his hand in ice water for hours on end. 

"Jiminie, your hand's so cold," he huffed gently, nodding. "You know you can talk to me about whatever, yeah?" 

His head rested neatly on her shoulder, his eyes closed and his pretty plush lips pursed together. "I see him everywhere, when I close my eyes and in the corner of the room. I hear his voice, it's like he's here with me."

He sounded so defeated, like he had resigned himself to his fate of going mad.

Fingers brushed through his hair, the silly strands falling through her digits like moonlight. "You miss him, Minnie. You're trying to cope."

This time when his eyes snapped open, he looked almost frantic. His pupils were dilated, almost consuming the soft brown of his iris', the hold on her hand suddenly tightening to an almost painful degree.

"You don't understand! I see him everywhere, I can't breathe! He's always whispering things to me, he's telling me we can be together if I just listen to him. From the moment I open my eyes he's stood next to me and he's smiling! He's telling me to do horrible things and I don't want to!", he was panting, heaving with his eyes cast downwards, "I don't want to hurt any of you."

Not minding the pain that blossomed because of his tough grip, she sighed. Maybe Taehyung's death was hitting him harder than she thought it would. "Jimin, I think you should go to therapy. That's not healthy."

"I know, but I don't want to go alone."

"Would you like if I went with you?" Her offer was genuine and he could tell from the worry in her eyes. 

And although she knew the mental strain had to be enormous, he nodded, managing a faint smile. "Yeah, I would like that."

She gently tugged him upwards, watching him wobble fondly on his skates, his brilliant crescent moon smile soon returning to him and brightening up the cold and gloomy atmosphere. "Go skate. I'm crap at it anyway, you're good at dancing so you can out do me."

Laughter spilled from his bitten lips, the skin chewed away on but still retaining it's beautiful shape. "I don't think I can help a lost cause."

"Rude."

She had only been joking when she said that dancing must translate to ice skating but he truly was a beauty on the ice. He was doing brilliantly, outshining many others on the rink with his grace and poise. 

Minhyuk had skated over, leaving Jooheon to converse with the other two and rested his hand gently on Jimin's back, smiling widely at him. The younger boy's eyes had widened before returning to normal, taking Minhyuk's hand and proceeding to skate with him. It was a lovely interaction and it warmed her heart to know that he was still trying to find joy and solace in his friends.

"This is the first time I've seen Jimin smile in weeks," Changkyun's low voice reached her before his future did, his expression neutral but his eyes sparkling.

Taking up the seat that had once been Jimin's, he played with his various rings. Though he outwardly appeared to be aloof in nature and rather uncaring, once you cared enough about him to look further, it was startlingly clear how much he truly cared about the people he knew.

Changkyun had been the one to constantly update them on Jimin's condition, on how well he was doing and whether or not he was eating properly. More than likely, if Changkyun didn't make an active effort to prepare him food then Jimin would have slowly starved to death. 

"I'm glad. Look after him, yeah? He told me he's having hallucinations of Taehyung being with him, I suggested that he goes to a therapist but I'm not always with him," He nodded, silently agreeing to what she was implicitly asking him to do - he would happily do so with no qualms.

Eyeing him gently, her hand patted his thigh, chocolate brown hues drifting down to the point of contact before meeting her own eyes. "What about you, Kyun? How are you? Being everyone else's support will tire you out, we're here for you also."

At this, his lips quirked upwards, gaze drifting from her face to the rink where Jeongguk was now talking to both Minhyuk and Jimin. Unfortunately it wasn't clear what they were discussing but judging from the facial expressions each of them had, it wasn't something nice. 

Though, before they needed to get up and go over, Jooheon had managed to stop the tension. 

"I'm okay. I'm still coming to terms with it but I'm dealing," Nodding, the silence that fell over them was comforting. 

Words never needed to be exchanged in the company of the younger man, his unspoken syllables carrying just as much meaning as his vocalised ones.

"And Jeongguk?" She wished Jeongguk would speak to any of them, but he had become more reserved after Taehyung's passing. He almost seemed like a ghost, a complete 180 from his previous bubbly and enthusiastic demeanour. 

Changkyun shrugged. "He's been more distant. I'm worried for him. He's picking fights more often and he seems beside himself."

With furrowed brows, she caught sight of his figure storming off the rink, lips moving to form unsightly curses before he made the briefest eye contact with her and paused. Yet, instead of walking over, he disappeared around a corner and left her with nothing - not even the bare minimum.

"Yeah," she spoke slowly, tasting her words, "he does." _ ****_ __

* * *

 

She was peacefully lounging on the sofa, head resting amongst the cushions and body pressed neatly on top of hers. Minhyuk's breathing was quiet, he had probably fallen asleep. 

Her eyes grazed over his features, over every inch of his youthful visage before swapping to the screen that played something on the food network.

Background noise from the TV was soothing, her hand limp as it dangled off the sofa, remote still in her hand as she exhaled. Jooheon had been out to go and get some ice cream, as per Minhyuk's request, but now he had only gone and fallen asleep.

Picking up her phone, the remote dropping to the carpeted floor with a quiet thud, she held it over her face, carefully avoiding her boyfriend. 

'Reminder: Go get Jimin! Appointment today at 2.'

"Minhyuk, Minhyukkie? Baby, can you get off me please?" Gently shaking him, he began to shift, one eye cracking open before he shook his head. "Bro, move. I need to go get Jimin."

With slightly harder shove, he moved himself off of her and stretched, arms reaching far above his head before he yawned unusually wide. With a mischievous glint in his eyes, he nodded waited till she got up before pressing a rough kiss to her lips, completely stunning her. "Sorry, couldn't resist." 

Shaking her head, she headed into her room to change and walked out of the house with only a jacket and a phone. 

The door opened within a single knock, Changkyun's tired person greeting her and allowing her entrance. He looked exhausted, like he had spent the last fortnight awake and without a wink of sleep. 

"Jimin's not answering. I told him about the appointment a few hours ago before I left and he still hasn't opened the door," A horrible feeling settled in her stomach, acid threatening to travel up her throat and make her sick.

Immediately, upon seeing the panic flashing in her eyes, he rushed towards Jimin's door, suddenly growing frantic as he tried the door knowing, shaking it roughly and almost pulling it off in his desperation. Multiple curses passed his dry lips, profanity continuously leaving him as he damn near kicked the door down.

"Shit, do you have a key?" Biting his lips, he disappeared down the corridor, the sound of rummaging and Jeongguk's name being called. "Jimin? Jiminie, open the door please."

Her voice warranted no response, the silence deafening as it rang in her ears; tormenting her. They said that there was no worse sound than silence, and she couldn't help but agree.

"Please, open the door!" Banging furiously on the door, she slammed her elbow into the wood, watching it splinter the slightest amount. Changkyun was taking too long and the blinding panic in her gut was not settling down.

In a split second of rash decision making, she backed up until her back was touching the cold, dry wall of the corridor, before she ran. 

Her ears blocked from the artificial wind that whipped at her, blood pounding in her ears as she kicked the door as hard as she could, the material giving way and collapsing under the sheer force exerted. 

A gaping hole was left where her foot had made contact, her hand shooting through it and scrambling blindly to try and locate the lock. Changkyun came back just as she managed to grasp the lock, the metal nearly slipping under her sweaty fingers. It unlocked and Changkyun carelessly dropped the key, Jeongguk now appearing from the end of the hallway and staring wide eyed.

"Baby? Jimin, Jimin!" The lock click and the door swing open, "are you o-" the words died in her throat, shock numbing her senses until all she could do was walk forwards without a single peep.

Changkyun and Jeongguk followed behind, their reactions more audible with curses and blasphemous exclamations.

It was barbaric; everything about it was barbaric.

Crimson stained the walls, fresh and smelling of iron. Words and symbols covered edge inch, from the border of the ceiling to the floor at the bottom. Blood pooled on the bed and in puddles. The scent was so strong that it had Changkyun retching, reaching for his phone to call the police.

She couldn't have cared less, instead all her focus was on Jimin and the thick rope tied around his neck, his face purple yet still as angelic as the day she'd seen him last. If she was trying to convince herself, she could have said that he looked like he would wake up any moment: he would not. And that fact was made perfectly clear the more her eyes wandered downwards.

 Jimin's fingers were bloody, his skin scratched at and the flesh of his wrists torn, almost exposing muscle with how far it had been clawed at. His clothes were in shambles, tattered and ripped until there was barely anything left. His skin was coloured: white, purple and red, the colours like a sickening water colour painting.

"Jiminie…" All at once everything caught up to her, the shock wearing away as she walked closer to him, not caring that she was standing barefoot in blood, "Jimin. Oh my god, Jimin."

Her hand grazed his, the cold, unfeeling flesh feeling so foreign from the warmth that had radiated from him only three days prior. The blood and the gore didn't matter, what mattered was that he was hanging from the ceiling in the most grotesque manner. 

"I'm going to get you down, Jimin. Okay?" Clambering on to the bed, her hands trembled violently, struggling to untie the noose while mumbling about how he was going to be okay. 

"Noona," Jeongguk's voice did not register, "NOONA!"

His stare was empty, regarding Jimin as though he were nothing more than a mannequin strung up for a horror house. "He's gone."

 "But-"

Jeongguk's touch was hot, almost branding her skin as he gently left her away from Jimin's corpse, his head turned the opposite way, "he's dead, Noona. You can't bring him back. He's had it coming."

"What?" She could hardly believe such an absurd statement had left his mouth, the shock and the fear replaced by the fiery sin of wrath. How dare he say such a thing?! "What the FUCK do you mean by that, Jeon Jeongguk?!"

"Noona, he killed himself. Did you not read the writing? He was going insane," The distant wails of the sirens did nothing, the hysterical grief that was beginning to overwhelm her senses making her tear away from him and back into the room, the broken door slamming violently against the wall.

Her eyes travelled over every inch of his scrawl, writing that she knew it the back of her hand. It made no difference that it was written in red, his own life poured into each stroke that desecrated the wall.

'I couldn't do it. Taehyung was my life. I saw his face in every corner and his words in my ear. I love him and I want to be with him, I will be with him if I do this. I can't live without him. Taehyung. Kim Taehyung I will be with you.' 

With every word that was written down, it became progressively more frantic and messy, like he was being rushed by something or someone. 

But the last line confused her. It was written just above his head on the ceiling, the blood dripping down onto the bed sheets and creating something similar to flower petals on the previously stark white sheets. 

'How our breaths intertwined. My hope.'

She never had a chance to look further because at that moment, the police had entered and ushered her out, closing away the scene as well as Jimin. 

* * *

It was natural that both Changkyun and Jeongguk didn't want to remain in the flat anymore; who would after two deaths within its walls? They both occupied the spare room, sharing a bed with their belongings strewn throughout. 

Quiet day to day living was what it could be described as, with both Changkyun and Jeongguk hiding away in the room and coming out occasionally. She supposed it was a coping method - after all seeing your best friend's innards would scar someone at best.

"Are you hungry?" Minhyuk had walked in, disappearing inside the room and speaking to his dongsaeng's before they both walked out. Jeongguk managed only a tiny smile where's Changkyun still looked like he was ready to collapse. 

"Kyun, are you not sleeping well?" He looked up at her, his hair flopping in front of his eyes until he brushed it away. Changkyun couldn't even smile, the up turn of his lips looking more like a grimace than his usual cheeky grins. "Do you have any sleep medication you could take?"

"Yes but it's not working, I still have nightmares," she understood, her own nights constantly interrupted by the image of Jimin's dangling body burning into her subconscious. 

It was determined a suicide but something about it didn't sit right with her, like an itch that couldn't be satisfied. 

"Go and eat, yeah? It's your favourite, Kihyun made it and sent it over," Perking up at the mention of his hyung's cooking, he all but ran over. 

However she remained stood in front of the door and looking inside their room. It was a typical looking area, with clothes everywhere and drink cans thrown in the bins haphazardly. She didn't care as long as they cleaned up every once in a while, but something was nagging at her and driving her mad. 

Brows furrowed harshly together, she took a step into the room and paused. Changkyun's desk had nothing interesting aside from his password protected desktop. He had given her the password a while ago but since she'd never had a need, she never used it

Meanwhile Jeongguk had his laptop open, he screen glaring on a document that was protected by a code. She shouldn't have been snooping but she wanted to know why he was still acting out of character.

Resisting the urge to look, she instead sat on the bed and sighed, face covered by her hands before stretching

The door suddenly shut, heart nearly thudding out of her chest at the unexpected action. Jeongguk was stood in the doorway, the door closed behind him before he began to slowly advance towards her

"Noona," he spoke softly, his eyes wide and his pupils constricted, barely seen in the expansive brown of his iris'. "Noona, you're in danger."

The absurdity of his statement made her brain stop working for a split second, looking at him blankly. "Danger? Jeongguk, are you okay? You've been acting really weird for the past month, ever since we went to the mansion."

He looked desperate, grabbing her hands and pulling them to his chest. "No, it was Hoseok whose doing all this! IT'S HOSEOK!"

His voice raised to a scream, startling her while his chest heaved, the hold on her hands nearly crushing. "Who's Hoseok?" 

"He's the one we summoned, the one who came after we opened the circle. We summoned a demon and he's going to kill us all," He sounded like he was hyperventilating, his breathing ragged and rushed as he trembled. 

"Hoseok? Where is he? Have you seen him?" His mouth opened but he stopped, head tilting downwards and looking at his lap.  

"He's at the house. He won't leave unless we're at the house," straining to hear his sudden whispering, she leaned in closer but he got up, hands tearing away from her own and moving away like she had breathed the fire of hell towards him. "We need to-" 

"You need to what?" Changkyun stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame with the bags under his eyes highlighting the irritation within his gaze. "Jeongguk, you haven't stopped talking about this since Taehyung's death. You're mumbling, crying, saying random things at ridiculous hours, you need to get help. This hit everyone hard and I don't want you to end up like," Changkyun swallowed, teeth gritted, "like Jimin did."

"But Hyung! It's true, you will die!" He shot up, eyes red and nails digging sharply into his palm. "Hoseok, it's him."

"Jeongguk, that's enough," her hand rested gently on his shoulder, squeezing before her hand dropped, "Changkyun is right. I think you should go."

For a split second, he looked senselessly angry, like he would fly into a fit of rage before her very eyes. But then he blinked and all traces of wrath disappeared; there was nothing left except contempt.

"You will die. And Hyung? It's going to be you first." 

Storming past the elder boy, the front door slammed shut and she fell back onto the bed, looking at her hands. She barely noticed Changkyun move in front of her, the bed sinking under his weight as his arm wrapped around her shoulder, bringing her into his chest.  

"He's just stressed," she spoke, his heartbeat palpable underneath her finger tips, "I think he's trying to find a reason for this so he's turned to demons."

Changkyun hummed, head resting on hers, "I think so too. I can't blame him, it's been hard."

"Yeah," she said, "it has." ~~~~

* * *

 

"Will you guys be okay?" Changkyun all but rolled his eyes at his question, his smile wide and hand waving at Jooheon's worries dismissively. 

"We're not children, Hyung. We can handle you being away for a few hours, it's not like I'm going to kill anyone," Minhyuk chuckled, shaking his head before giving a rough noogie to the younger boy.

Her hands were tucked into her pocket, lips twitching - trying to pull up into a smile but not quite reaching there. 

For a few more moments, she watched Minhyuk affectionately poke at Changkyun ('yah, you silly bastard, don't you spend the entire time in the bedroom' and 'I'll make sure you won't breathe if I find out you ate the last of my food,') before he finally let him go, grinning to himself. 

"Do you know where Gukkie is?" Jooheon asked, only to be met with a shrug in reply. 

"He's been avoiding me ever since two weeks ago. I wouldn't think about it too much, Hyung." Despite nodding, it was easy to tell that Jooheon was still troubled, his plush lips pulled into a thoughtful pout before he huffed in resignation. "What are you waiting for?"

"Yeah, we're leaving. Give us a call if you need anything," and although she felt that incessant nagging once more in her gut, she ignored it in favour of holding her boyfriend's hands. 

They left shortly after, the last thing she saw of Changkyun being his thin frame heading back into his room, the door shutting behind him as he walked with a slightly hunched back. 

What they had left to do was some furniture shopping. After seeing that both Changkyun and Jeongguk had ended their lease on the apartment, they knew that the duo would be living with them for a while. Especially since Jeongguk was still a student, he would find it much harder to find an flat like his previous one, which is why they weren't pushing to make them leave. 

"What about this one? It looks nice," Minhyuk leaned over Jooheon's shoulder, arms wrapped tightly around his waist while his lips brushed the skin of his neck with each word. 

"Hm, it looks a little boring. Do you think they will fit? Changkyun is small but he isn't that small," Jooheon agreed after a moment in thought, his shoulders sagging as he held on to the hands that clutched him. "Why has Jeongguk been avoiding everyone?" 

She picked at her nails, gaze blankly on a desk she was stood in front of. "Hoseok. He's been avoiding us because of a demon called Hoseok."

"What?" 

"He told Changkyun and I that were going to die because of a demon. That we summoned it while we were there at the mansion," Jooheon's frown deepened, his exhale loud and rather exhausted. 

He looked troubled, like all his tongue was being weighed down and he was struggling to speak. "What if he was right?"

"What do you mean?" Minhyuk questioned. 

"Taehyung died of a heart attack when he had nothing wrong with him. He was fine and healthy, there was no reason he should have died. And Jimin, he had hallucinations of Taehyung when he had no history of psychosis or anything like that. He was also completely fine, he would never have hurt himself in such a painful way like that before," he licked his lips, "I don't know. Maybe I'm grasping at straws."

Everyone was silent, completely quiet and when she looked over, she noticed how dark Minhyuk's gaze was. 

"He said we should go back there, to the mansion."

"Why?" 

"That 'Hoseok' won't leave unless we go to the house," her laughter was cold, "am I an idiot for considering it?" 

"No," Letting go of Jooheon, Minhyuk stretched, "I feel like it's Jeongguk."

With that statement, he had everyone's attention, their stares burning into his back. 

"If there's a demon, then it would be Jeongguk who's possessed. He was the last one in Taehyung's room and the first to find him, he could have induced that heart attack. Didn't you see how calm he was during Jimin's suicide too? The odd writing on the wall and the the way Jimin did it too. Blood loss would have killed him before the noose did, unless Jeongguk helped."

What Minhyuk said was making too much sense and she hated that. If there really were any supernatural forces at play, it would seem that Jeongguk was the one receiving it all. 

It felt like a stupid game that they were stuck in, they were pawns for something bigger and it was bothersome, especially when they had done nothing more than try to live.

Then, she stood up. "Oh shit, fuck!"

"What is it?"

"Changkyun is at home alone with Jeongguk! We need to go, NOW!" Panic spread like a virus, the trio bolting it out of the store and straight into the car, the gas stamped on as the car skid across the car park before finding its way onto the road. 

If Jeongguk really was possessed, then they were racing against time to save Changkyun.

* * *

 

When they entered the house, the first thing they noticed was how the front door was unlocked, swinging open with a gentle touch. The second thing they noticed was the shouting coming from the kitchen, the terrified edge to them cutting deep into her skin. The third thing they noticed was how red stained the tiles of the kitchen floor, the once off white of the floor now coloured barbarically in crimson.

"Changkyun!" Jooheon's shriek paralysed her, only able to watch as he knelt down next to him, hands frantically trying to pull him upwards. 

Changkyun's state was dishevelled, his eyes drooping and hand doused in his own blood. The kitchen knife that stuck out of him was grotesque. but the dozens of other stab wounds were their main focus. 

"Minhyuk! Call the police!" With a curt nod, he walked out of the room and her head snapped to Jeongguk.

He was stood there, unmoving as he stared at his elders on the floor: one bleeding out while the other sobbed, trying his hardest to stop the blood flow despite knowing within his heart of hearts that Changkyun would not survive.

It infuriated her; angered her to know that he was doing nothing. 

"Jeongguk! Was it you?" His head turned towards her, his eyes wide and brimming with unshed tears. "Did you do this to Changkyun?"

He was stammering, trying to make sense of her accusation while her stare bore into him. He had no blood on his figure, not even the slightest splatter. How on earth could he stab somebody and not have a lick of evidence on him that he'd done so?

"What?" Jooheon's voice drew her back to reality, looking away from Jeongguk to her bleeding best friend his eyes becoming fuller by the second. "Who did this to you?"

"-seok," The rattling of his blood filled lungs was chilling, his desperate heaving for air already climbing to her memory, could the ambulance not get there any faster? "Ho-hobi. H-hoseok.."

"Hoseok? The demon?" Changkyun strained himself to look upwards at Jooheon, his brows were drawn together and tears were streaming down his face, mixing with the rouge that pooled under them both. 

"Y-yes," the pressure on him was horrifyingly visible, his skin turning paper and paler by the second as she fell to her knees, grabbing onto his shaking hands and holding them tightly.

It didn't matter that Changkyun had admitted that a demon had done this, that their fears of the supernatural being involved was true and just. What mattered was holding him in her arms knowing that he wouldn't make it; not even a miracle would save him now.

"N-noona? Hyung?" 

"Yes?" 

"I'm tired." His words were shockingly clear, her heart acting in her chest as tears welled in her eyes, blocking her vision as her bloodied hand pulled his head to her chest, stroking his hair as Jooheon sobbed, his own fingers running shakily through Changkyun's onyx locks. 

"Then sleep, baby. You'll be okay," Her voice was stable, his eyes full of fear and his pulse weakening with every passing second.

"Sleep?" 

Jooheon pressed a soft kiss to his cheek, brushing away the strands of hair that hung in front of his eyes. "C-close your eyes. It won't," he furiously wiped his face with the back of his hand, "it won't hurt anymore."

His eyes flickered between the two before he nodded, head lolling before his eyes slowly closed. His breathing could hardly be felt, his chest falling before it sluggishly came to a halt.

Changkyun was dead; he had died in their arms. 

The anguish she felt was incomparable, like she was being burnt from the inside out with how much it hurt. Her lungs ached and her throat stung.

Three friends, three people she had known for years and thought of as family - were now gone. 

His body was losing warmth, his head still resting on her chest as she sobbed, unable to stop the grief that poured from her. Jooheon's cries mixed with his apologies, 'I'm sorry' repeated like a mantra as he leant on Changkyun's shoulder.

Jeongguk had not moved a single inch, a tear sliding down his cheek as he swallowed thickly.

"He said Hoseok. Hyung said it was the demon," His tone wasn't triumphant nor was it upset, it was just blank. "He stabbed himself because Hoseok made him."

Slowly, she put Changkyun's body down on to the floor. "Let's go then."

"Huh?"

"Let's go to that stupid fucking mansion and get that bastard to leave us alone. Do you know how to?" Jooheon nodded slowly, he had read about it on the website with Changkyun when they had been planning the dare. Of course back then he had assumed it to be a joke, laughing at it with his dongsaeng.

"Y-yeah. You need to repeat it backwards and say goodbye, the same way you summoned it," she nodded, not caring for the blood that caked her fingernails or coloured her clothing.

"Now all we need is Minhyuk, where is he?" The mentioned appeared, his hues dull but he was quick to cooperate.

If going against the other realm meant that they would finally be rid of the cycle of violence that plagued them, she would happily fight a demon a million times. 

* * *

 

The trek to the mansion was just as horrible as she remembered, her feet sinking into the inches thick foliage as they clambered through the undergrove, the trees swinging and swaying in the branch. This time the temperature was considerably nicer, almost mocking them as they rushed through. 

Shivers rushed down her spine, every step making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Jooheon wasn't faring much better, his hands were white with how roughly he was holding onto her shirt, trembling like a newborn as he followed through. He didn't utter a word of complaint though, his lips firmly sealed.

Jeongguk was also ahead this time, constantly looking behind to see if they were still there while Minhyuk tugged them forward, the fear he had previously completely evaporating.

The mansion was still as old and as rickety as ever, the most on the wall seemingly having expanded and was now covering every inch of the pathetic, crumbling house. The wood that could be seen was now a rusty brown color, a stark contrast from its previous weather worn grey. 

However, what was most notable was how the grass surrounding the house was dead, the ashy yellow of the plants making her frown. She remembered seeing them stand almost at the height of the trees, the vegetation healthy and thriving even if the house was not.

"Come on, hurry. We need to go on," Minhyuk's eagerness confused her. Where had that meekness gone where he would rather stay at home and cry than come back? Maybe he had gained some confidence after witnessing the death of his three close friends but even so.

Jeongguk opened the door, ushering them all in. However, just as they were about to enter the room with the pentagram, his hand shot out and stopped both her and Jooheon from going inside while Minhyuk strolled within.

"What are you doing? We need to do the chant," Jeongguk's eyes narrowed and he took a step back. 

"We don't need to do shit, Hoseok," Minhyuk blinked at the name, head tilt in confusion, a laugh of confusion leaving his lips. 

"What are you talking about?" 

"You're Hoseok, you're that fucking demon that's been ruining our lives," Minhyuk scoffed, moving closer with 'jagi, you don't believe him, do you?' on the tip of his tongue. "One, you visited Taehyung after I did. You came at 2am and I remember because I saw you sneaking in. He was dead at 2:30 according to the autopsy. Two, you also came over late at night but this time you were in Jimin's room with him. I heard you speak for a bit before leaving, but I heard him speaking to himself for a while afterwards before it went silent. I can't pin you for Changkyun-hyung's death because you weren't there. But he mentioned Hoseok."

Her mind reeled, something about Changkyun's death had bothered her. "Changkyun's death. Minhyuk, you said to him that you would kill him if he touched your food. He died that same day. You also were supposed to call and ambulance. You never did, he could have been saved but you purposely didn't call one. You killed him."

But something else had always been on her mind. 

He had never seen even one of those deaths. Every single time he was always out of the room or doing something else - while she had witnessed two out of three, he had seen none. He was always conveniently away from the crime scene while Jeongguk was always somehow implicated.

Something he said stuck out to her, her knees almost giving out on her as she grasped Jooheon's hand, his expression dumbfounded as he gawked at the silent Minhyuk

"How did you know that Jeongguk was calm during Jimin's suicide? You weren't there," Minhyuk was silent, his eyes as black as the obsidian night, "YOU WEREN'T THERE!

His hair hung over his eyes, a black veil covering his pupils before he began laughing, his chuckles starting out quiet, like his good nature giggles, before it slowly began increasing in volume until it was booming across the house, the sound inhumane and chilling. Then he stopped, head tilt upward, looking down at them from the bridge of his nose. 

Not even bothering to see whatever he was going to do next, she bolted, dragging Jooheon and Jeongguk with her before they found their own footing and began booking it through the house. 

"I always knew you were trouble, Jeon Jeongguk, you saw me, didn't you? You saw me possess this pathetic body and you were silent. Good boy~"

His words rang loudly throughout the building, seemingly inescapable as they ran as fast as they could towards the open door, only to see it slam shut in their faces.

"SHIT!" Jooheon looked around quick before grabbing a plank of wood and smashing it against the window, the glass shattering instantly but still leaving dangerous bits sticking out. 

Jooheon scrambled through first, his chest heaving in anxiety as he pleaded with them both to hurry up. Her knees were cut up from the glass but she couldn't have cared less, quickly assisting Jeongguk out of the window too before they were all running towards the car too. 

Looking behind, they couldn't see a single trace of Minhyuk. It was like he completely disappeared but she doubted that was it. He was around somewhere and that knowledge only had her adrenaline pumping faster. 

But then she spotted him. He was sat in a tree looking down at them, his eyes pitch black and soulless while his grin seemed to stretch across his cheeks grotesquely. Slowly, his finger lifted to his lips before she blinked and he was gone. 

Jooheon was still at her side but she had lost sight of Jeongguk. "GUKKIE! JEONGGUK!" 

His voice responded in another direction further ahead and she moved closer to it, Jooheon following right behind her with his hand still in hers, albeit almost losing his grip with all the sweat. 

"Jeongguk? Where are you?"

"Here, Noona!" They went past the trees that were obscuring their vision, cursing as branches scratched at their arms and faces before they finally saw him.

But it wasn't him that had been speaking. 

Jeongguk laid on the floor, his eyes glassy and his mouth pouring crimson. He was unblinking, body unmoving as he lay lifelessly on the floor. In his chest there were three claw marks, a pool of blood collecting under him as his hand fell on the floor next to a branch. 

Stood right beside him, was Minhyuk with his hands around his mouth and the cheshire grin still on his face. 

"Noona! Hyung!" Jeongguk's lips did not move but it was his voice that echoed in the silent forest. Jooheon stumbled back, ready to start running again when he suddenly started clutching his throat, his eyes bulging as he fell to his knees, clawing at the column of flesh. 

"STOP IT! LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Minhyuk's brow raised, his fingers snapping and Jooheon's body collapsed, panting as he hit the floor with scratch marks decorating his throat. "Why?"

Crawling, Jooheon managed to get to her pulling her downwards as she cradled his head. Minhyuk watched this scene with amusement before he started smiling widely, and then it got wider; wider; wider until his flesh began to rip, blood seeping from the tears and she closed her eyes, hands pressing over Jooheon's to keep him from seeing the sight. 

The sound of bones cracking and contorting was enough to make her leave, his bones shifting and protruding unnaturally against his skin until he was mangled from within. He looked like a doll that someone had destroyed, not a living breathing human being. 

Then, there was a loud ripping sound before a hand grasped her chin, kneeling down to Jooheon and caressing his cheek.

"Why?" The man spoke, his voice happy and teasing, "because you summoned me, baby."

She hated that the man in front of her was the most beautiful person she had ever seen. His heart shaped lips were plush, plump with desire as his tongue rang over them. Endless brown eyes stared into her, his cheeks pulling into a gorgeous grin that accentuated his high cheekbones. His nose was sloped, poking at the skin of her neck as he nipped at her trembling flesh before moving down to her boyfriend. 

"You're so lucky, Heonie," Jooheon recoiled at the nickname, unable to find his voice, "that little Minhyuk here loved you so much. It made me think that maybe having both of you would be better than just one. Wouldn't you agree?" 

They remained silent. 

"I SAID, wouldn't you agree?" Squeaking out a 'yes', Jooheon clutched her tighter. "I'm glad. Because now you'll bother being spending eternity with me, and you have Minhyukkie to thank for that! He loved you both lots and I couldn't resist."

His touch was burning yet freezing at the same time, his fingers ghosting over their necks before he grabbed them both by the throat, and with one fluid movement, twisted their necks.

Their bodies were limp instantly, Hoseok stanYding up as he looked around proudly at the carnage he'd caused. He never expected to have such a good outcome from three silly people summoning him. 

Oh well, he thought, at least now he had two pets to play with as he pleased. And they wouldn't be able to leave him; not now, not ever. 

* * *

 

'MISSING YOUNG ADULTS FOUND DEAD IN FOREST.

The three young adults that had been reported as missing just three days ago have now been found just outside Greenday manor. It is unclear what had happened to them but police say that the murders are linked to the previously discovered suicides of Park Jimin and Im Changkyun. Two out of three of the lovers were found with their necks dislocated, whereas Lee Minhyuk and Jeon Jeongguk were found in a mangled state...'


End file.
